Michael Giannatos facts for kids

Michalis Giannatos (Greek: Μιχάλης Γιαννάτος; born July 11, 1941 – died September 17, 2013), also known as Michael Yannatos, was a talented Greek actor.

He was born in Istanbul, Turkey. In 1964, he moved to Greece during a time when many Greeks left Istanbul.

Michalis Giannatos' Acting Career

Michalis Giannatos studied acting at Konstantinos Demopoulos' drama school. He started his professional acting career in 1966 in the film Oi stigmatismenoi. Even as a student, he performed in the play Capetan Michalis alongside the famous actor Manos Katrakis.

During his long career, he acted in almost 100 films, TV shows, and plays. He was a favorite actor of the well-known director Theodoros Angelopoulos. After working with Angelopoulos in the 1981 film Megalexandros, he was often asked to appear in his movies.

Michalis Giannatos was amazing because he could speak five languages fluently: Greek, Turkish, French, Italian, and Spanish. This skill helped him act in many international movies. Some of his famous international films include Midnight Express, Captain Corelli's Mandolin, and Munich. He also worked with many big stars like Anthony Quinn, John Hurt, Nicolas Cage, Penélope Cruz, Christian Bale, Eric Bana, and Daniel Craig.

He also appeared in the Greek film A Touch of Spice and the European TV mini-series Le Dernier Seigneur des Balkans.

Michalis Giannatos' Personal Life

Michalis Giannatos was married to Chaido, and they stayed together until he passed away. They had three children: Gerasimos (born in 1979), Ioannis (born in 1980), and Maria (born in 1982).

To support his family, Giannatos worked night shifts as a receptionist at the Hotel Caravel starting in 1979. He kept this job until 1996, even while continuing his acting career whenever he had the chance. His son Gerasimos explained that the receptionist job was his main way of providing for the family.

In an interview in 2012, Giannatos shared his love for classical music. He said he first discovered it in school when an Italian classmate introduced him to Chopin's Polonaises. He loved it so much that he became a big fan. He also enjoyed Greek music, like Stelios Kazantzidis and rebetiko, and sometimes even flamenco, tango, or csárdás. He also loved reading books by ancient Greek writers like Aeschylus, Sophocles, Euripides, and Aristophanes, as well as modern authors like Hemingway and Agatha Christie.

Michalis Giannatos' Passing

Michalis Giannatos died on September 17, 2013, at 72 years old. He passed away from a heart attack while watching a football game with friends.

The Greek Minister of Culture and Sports shared his sadness about Giannatos' death. He said that Michalis Giannatos was an amazing actor who appeared in many important Greek and international films. The Minister also noted that Giannatos was one of those artists who showed that you don't need to have the main role in a movie to be a truly important part of it.

Filmography

Films Michalis Giannatos Acted In

TV Shows Michalis Giannatos Appeared In

See also

In Spanish: Michael Giannatos para niños